Driving Market Share Through a Self-Funded Incentive Program
At a Glance:
- Travel award qualifiers grew from 75 to 250 couples over five years
- Fully self-funded incentive program tied to incremental growth
- Stronger customer and sales team relationships across the channel
Business Issue
Following the slow recovery from the Great Recession, a nationally ranked, independently owned HVAC and plumbing distributor wanted to reignite growth, strengthen customer relationships, and gain market share in a competitive environment.
Leadership wanted an incentive approach that felt energizing and aspirational, but also financially responsible. They wanted it to be self-funded through incremental performance while reinforcing loyalty among key customers and high-potential prospects.
Key challenges included:
- Driving incremental sales growth in a cautious, post-recession market
- Strengthening relationships between customers, sales representatives, and managers
- Gaining market share without increasing fixed incentive costs
Our Solution
Motivation Excellence worked closely with the client’s financial and marketing teams to design a self-funded group travel incentive program built on specific goal-setting and real-time performance visibility.
Using historic sales, gross profit, and growth potential, we developed a personalized goal structure for each participant. Customers earned credit for meeting their goals (and accelerated rewards for exceeding them), ensuring the program was fully funded by incremental growth.
The solution included:
- A custom travel incentive for customers, their respective sales representatives, and managers
- Personalized performance goals tied directly to incremental sales growth
- An online performance tracking platform providing daily progress visibility
- Monthly digital reports and ongoing communications to sustain engagement
The Results
The program delivered measurable, sustained results:
Our client accomplished real growth and market share gain, a recognized increase in loyalty, and enhanced relationships with their customers and sales team members.
Over five years, travel award winners increased from 75 couples to 250 couples.
Revenue and profit growth for enrolled participants significantly outperformed that of non-enrolled participants.
